photo by: Landon Cory/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence wide receiver Gabe Wingerd runs with the ball after a catch against Olathe East on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Olathe.

Lawrence High School’s football game against Olathe South on Friday is LHS’ senior night and final home game of the year and will feature a “pink out,” giving the contest a special importance to the team.

The Lions (4-2) have 23 seniors, many of whom have been contributors for the team for years. Several players have developed a chemistry over four years that is still paying dividends during their final season.

Coach Clint Bowen remembers a freshman quarterback Banks Bowen throwing to a freshman Gabe Wingerd on a play that the team still runs today. Those freshmen were part of the first class for coach Bowen.

“We talked about that with the younger classmen that a lot of these seniors are four-year guys, and they’ve invested a lot into our program,” Bowen said. “Sending them off on senior night is a big deal for us.”

Now, those seniors are leading a team fighting for a top playoff seed. At 4-2, the Lions have the No. 4 seed from the East with only two weeks left in the regular season.

Friday’s opponent, Olathe South, is having a much more trying season. The Falcons are 1-5 and are coming off a 34-0 loss to Shawnee Mission Northwest.

What the Falcons do have is size up front. They have a strong offensive and defensive line that is big and physical, which will create some difficulties for the Lions. Defensively, the Falcons fill the box, making it difficult to open up holes in the run game. Their defense fills gaps well and can tackle.

“They plug in two (defensive) tackles that are 300 (pounds) plus, so they make it hard to run up the middle,” Bowen said. “Their front and their Mike linebackers are really good players, and they’ve been stingy against the run all year.”

Along with four down linemen, the Falcons keep four defenders inside the box, creating a traffic jam in the middle of the defense in which it is hard to create space.

That, however, leaves the secondary susceptible to a strong passing attack, which is the bread and butter of Lawrence’s offense. The Lions have one of the best passing games in the state with a receiver room that can punish a defense deep. As it has been in many other games, that deep passing game will be a focal point of the offensive game plan.

“We’ll have to find ways to generate some run game,” Bowen said. “I think our offensive kids understand that you try to take advantage of the things the defense is giving you.”

A lot of that comes from the team getting a better idea of what is required from each player. Bowen often tells his team that the teams that win are the ones continuing to improve late into the season, and the Lions have done that with their understanding of what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. Receivers know that some games they might have a lot of catches and the next week they might be focusing on run blocking. It all comes together to create a team that wins in different ways with different people being highlighted.

The Falcons’ offense utilizes their big offensive linemen with zone run schemes. They get their five linemen moving together and can move a defense where they want in order to create a run lane. Limiting the run game and having linebackers fill those holes that open up will be the key to stopping the Olathe South offense.

“We’re not a load-the-box team — we’re more of a bring up pressure, move, and cut gaps off (team),” Bowen said of the defense. “For us, it’s going to be important to communicate.”

Bowen said the Lions will likely have to move things around and play in multiple defensive formations in this game to give the offense different looks. That makes it even more important for the Lions’ defense to know its assignments, no matter how it is lined up. In trying to force the offense to make a mistake, the Lions have to avoid their own.

The Lions played Olathe South last year and won 41-22 in the season opener. This game can feature another strong offensive performance for the Lions and give them an extra confidence boost before their season finale against Free State next week.